Chuseok, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, is one of South Korea’s most significant and cherished cultural celebrations. This annual holiday, deeply rooted in tradition and history, brings together families, communities, and the entire nation in a time of gratitude, reflection, and unity. In this today’s blog post, we will delve into the rich history, customs, and essential elements of Chuseok.
Chuseok Origins and History
Chuseok, which falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, is a celebration that can be traced back over 2,000 years to Korea’s agricultural roots. Originally, it was a harvest festival, marking the end of the autumn rice harvest and sending thanks to ancestors and family.
Preparing for Chuseok
Chuseok can be seen as South Korea’s equivalent of Thanksgiving in the United States. The weeks leading up to the holiday are a time of frantic preparations, with tons of various dishes cooked. Families clean their homes meticulously, prepare traditional foods, travel to their hometowns to gather with the family, and visit their ancestor’s graveyards.
Traditional Chuseok Foods
Korean savory fritters and pancakes, “jeon” for festivals
Every household has a slightly different version of their Chuseok food, but here are some of my lists. Various Jeon, the pan-fried vegetable or bean pancakes, are always a big part of any festivals in South Korea. When I think of Chuseok, I recall the delicious foods being cooked at my aunt’s home in Daegu, South Korea. The warm and scrumptious smell of Jeon, Korean savory pancakes, and the colorful dinner table with lots of different food made me so warm and cozy inside.
Then there are three colored Namul (namul means cooked vegetable dish in Korea) – daikon, bracken, and spinach. They represent a whole part of a plant – root, stem, and leaves. The white root daikon represents the ancestors. The brown stem bracken represents our parents. The green leaves of spinach represent us, the offspring. I love the cooked vegetable namul. I can finish my whole meal just with these three colored names!
There is usually bulgogi, marinated grilled beef at Chuseok. But since I don’t eat meat, I make Tteokgalbi made with plant-based meat. Tteokgalbi and bulgogi have a similar taste profile, made with marinated soy sauce, sweetener, garlic, and onion. You can learn my Tteokgalbi recipe here!
Obviously, some kimchi should be an indispensable element in every traditional Korean meal. I try to make some fresh kimchi on Chuseok because I don’t have kimchi stored like most Koreans do in Korea. Learn how to make traditional Kimchi!
A fun activity for family on Chuseok in Korea – making songpyeon together
Songpyeon, a type of rice cake, takes center stage as dessert. A rice cake filled with toasted sesame seeds and sweetener is certainly the star of the show. Traditionally, a family would gather around and make songpyeon together. It is so fun making songpyeon, so I shared how to make many different shapes and kinds of songpyeon here on my blog.
One of the most significant aspects of Chuseok is called “charye,” which is ancestral rites. Families gather at their ancestral gravesites or altars in their homes to pay respect to their ancestors. This ritual involves offerings of Chuseok food, rice wine, and rituals to express gratitude and seek blessings for the family’s well-being. Charye is a poignant and spiritual moment during Chuseok, connecting the living with our roots.
Many people choose to travel abroad during Chuseok these days
Chuseok in Modern Days
While Chuseok is deeply steeped in tradition, it has evolved to incorporate modern elements. Many South Koreans now use this holiday as an opportunity for leisure and travel. I myself do the same, I grew out of playing traditional games and activities I used to play as a child with my cousins now, and I don’t do charye while living here in Norway. What is important for me though, is cooking delicious Chuseok food and sharing it with my family. It brings me joy, and I would love to continue this history and heritage with my loved ones even when I live outside of Korea.
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